The present invention relates in general to remote-axis admittance systems and more particularly concerns novel apparatus and techniques useful in a high speed assembler of precision parts to facilitate easy and economical assembly without any external energy source or sensory feedback by using the built-in mechanical properties of the remote-axis admittance system according to the invention. This invention is an improvement of the invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,098,001 for REMOTE CENTER COMPLIANCE SYSTEM of Paul C. Watson granted July 4, 1978.
For background, reference is made to the technical paper of Paul C. Watson entitled THE REMOTE CENTER COMPLIANCE SYSTEM AND ITS APPLICATION TO HIGH SPEED ROBOT ASSEMBLIES copyright in 1977 by the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. That paper described a remote center device, usually in the form of a compliance having an effective center or pivot point at or near the assembly interface, such that a force applied at the center does not produce rotation and such that a moment applied to the piece does not produce displacement. These properties permit the device to adapt to misalignments of the hole or peg and to offsets of either the hole or peg, or both, with contact and frictional forces produced at the contact points tending to move the peg into alignment and permit it to move into the hole.
It is an important object of this invention to provide an improved remote-axis admittance system.
It is a further object of the invention to achieve the preceding object while separating motion and elastic force.
It is a further object of the invention to achieve one or more of the preceding objects while providing a safety feature that minimizes damage during an unsuccessful attempt to insert a particular part.
It is another object of the invention to achieve one or more of the preceding objects while providing both damping to significantly reduce oscillations and a restoring force.
It is a further object of the invention to achieve one or more of the preceding objects with apparatus that is relatively free from complexity, relatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture and operates with relatively good reliability.